BROCCOLI FRANKENTOTS WITH LEMON-GARLIC MAYO

Broccoli FrankenTots with Lemon-Garlic Mayo image

Provided by Molly Yeh

Time 50m

Yield about 28 tots

Number Of Ingredients 15

Ingredients

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 clove garlic, grated
Juice of 1/2 lemon (about 1 tablespoon)
Freshly ground black pepper
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 bunch broccoli (about 20 ounces), cut into florets and stems chopped (about 6 cups total)
1 cup fresh parsley leaves
1/4 cup roughly chopped chives
Zest of 1 lemon (about 1 teaspoon) plus juice of 1/2 lemon (about 1 tablespoon)
1 clove garlic, smashed
1/2 small onion, roughly chopped
1 1/4 cups unseasoned breadcrumbs
1 large egg, beaten
Pinch of red pepper flakes
Vegetable oil, for frying

Steps:

For the dip: Mix the mayonnaise, garlic, lemon juice and plenty of freshly ground black pepper in a small bowl until well combined. Refrigerate until ready to use.
For the broccoli tots: Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Prepare a bowl of ice water.
Add the broccoli florets and stems to the boiling water and cook until a very vibrant green and lightly softened, 1 to 2 minutes. Drain the broccoli and immediately submerge into the bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. You want the broccoli to remain as green as possible. Squeeze the broccoli in clean dish towels to remove as much of the water as possible.
Add the broccoli to the bowl of a food processor and pulse a few times until finely chopped. Add the parsley, chives, lemon zest and juice, garlic and onion and pulse until the mixture is well combined and no large chunks of any ingredient remain (you should have about 3 1/2 cups of the broccoli mixture). Transfer to a large bowl and add the breadcrumbs, egg, red pepper flakes, 2 teaspoons salt and a generous amount of freshly ground black pepper and mix to combine. You want the mixture to hold together when formed into a ball.
Using a tablespoon as a guide, scoop the mixture from the bowl, roll into balls (each ball should weigh about 21 grams) and place on a baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining broccoli mixture (you should have about 28 tots). Place the baking sheet in the freezer for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, fill a pot with vegetable oil so it comes about 2 inches up the sides. Fit the pot with a deep-fry thermometer and heat the oil over medium-high heat to 375 degrees F.
Fry the tots in 2 to 3 batches until the outsides are a deep golden brown, the insides are still very green and the tots are warmed throughout, 2 to 3 minutes (be sure not to overcrowd the pot or the oil will drop too dramatically in temperature and the outside of the tots will not be crispy). Use a slotted spoon to transfer the tots to a paper towel-lined plate. Sprinkle with salt. Be sure to bring your oil back to temperature between each batch. Serve immediately with the dip.